Bella Culley's Georgia drug smuggling sentence reduced to two years

The pregnant 19-year-old faces drugs charges in Georgia and is back in court on Monday.

Watch LiveBritish Broadcasting CorporationHomeNewsSportBusinessInnovationCultureArtsTravelEarthAudioVideoLiveDocumentariesHomeNewsIsrael-Gaza WarWar in UkraineUS & CanadaUKUK PoliticsEnglandN. IrelandN. Ireland PoliticsScotlandScotland PoliticsWalesWales PoliticsAfricaAsiaChinaIndiaAustraliaEuropeLatin AmericaMiddle EastIn PicturesBBC InDepthBBC VerifySportBusinessExecutive LoungeTechnology of BusinessFuture of BusinessInnovationTechnologyScience & HealthArtificial IntelligenceAI v the MindCultureFilm & TVMusicArt & DesignStyleBooksEntertainment NewsArtsArts in MotionTravelDestinationsAfricaAntarcticaAsiaAustralia and PacificCaribbean & BermudaCentral AmericaEuropeMiddle EastNorth AmericaSouth AmericaWorld’s TableCulture & ExperiencesAdventuresThe SpeciaListTo the Ends of The Earth EarthNatural WondersWeather & ScienceClimate SolutionsSustainable BusinessGreen LivingAudioPodcast CategoriesRadioAudio FAQsVideoBBC MaestroLiveLive NewsLive SportDocumentariesHomeNewsSportBusinessInnovationCultureArtsTravelEarthAudioVideoLiveDocumentariesWeatherNewslettersWatch LiveBella Culley's sentence reduced to two years38 minutes agoShareSaveRayhan Demytrie,in Tbilisi and Tom Burgess,North East and CumbriaShareSaveRustavi 2Bella Culley, pictured at a previous hearing, appeared at Tbilisi City Court on drugs chargesThe family of a "heavily pregnant" British teenager who is on trial for drug smuggling in Georgia has paid £137,000 to reduce her sentence to two years, as part of a plea bargain.

Bella Culley, 19, from Billingham, Teesside, had previously been told she could face up to 20 years behind bars or life imprisonment if convicted.

Her mother Lyanne Kennedy confirmed outside Tbilisi City Court the family had transferred the funds, however they were unable to reach the amount for her immediate release.

Miss Culley, who is understood to be 35 weeks pregnant, faces the prospect of giving birth in prison. She is due in court again on Monday.

In May, she was stopped at Tbilisi International Airport after 12kg (26lb) of marijuana and 2kg (4.4lb) of hashish were found in her luggage. Miss Culley previously claimed she was tortured to bring the drugs.